Major events 1950-1959
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April 4, 1951: President George Albert Smith
died in Salt Lake City and President David O. McKay was sustained as
president of the Church April 9, 1951, beginning a 19-year tenure as Church
president.
July 20, 1951: The First Presidency issued a call for stake seventies to serve full-time missions while the younger men were in Armed Forces during the Korean War.
March 2, 1952: Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City was dedicated.
Dec. 31, 1952: Cub Scouts became part of the Primary program.
Nov. 25, 1952: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower chose Elder Ezra Taft Benson of the Quorum of the Twelve as Secretary of Agriculture.
Aug. 5, 1953, and Aug. 27, 1955: Ground broken for Swiss and London, England, temples, respectively.
Jan. 2, 1954: President McKay toured England, South Africa, and South and Central America. A site for the New Zealand Temple was selected.
July 1954: The Indian Student Placement Program was started.
Aug. 31, 1954: The First Presidency approved the lowering of the age for young men to be ordained teachers to 14, and priests to 16.
Sept. 26, 1955: The Church College of Hawaii, now BYU-Hawaii, was opened.
Sept. 11, 1955: The Swiss Temple was dedicated and the use of a filmed presentation started.
Jan. 8, 1956: Campus wards and stakes were organized at BYU.
March 11, 1956: The Los Angeles [Calif.] Temple was dedicated.
April 20, Sept. 7, 1958: The New Zealand and London temples were dedicated.
April 26, 1958: The Church College of New Zealand was dedicated.
April 6, 1959: President McKay issued his famous "Every member a missionary" slogan.
Nov. 29, 1959: The Tabernacle Choir received a Grammy award for its recording of "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
